Rhodes Charapata Funeral Home and Crematory

His death was confirmed Saturday by his daughter, Maria La Rosa Smith, of Ridgefield, Connecticut, and Joe Charapata of the Rhodes-Charapata Funeral Home in Crivitz, Wisconsin. Smith said her father died in his sleep of natural causes Thursday at his home in Crivitz. Services will be private, she said.La Rosa, a native of Brooklyn, New York, was in the Navy when Godfrey heard him sing and invited him to appear on his CBS TV show. Godfrey also urged him to come back after his discharge. La Rosa became a star of Godfrey's show from 1951 to 1953, recording several hits including "Eh, Cumpari." FILE - In this Oct. 26, 1953, file photo, Julius La Rosa, who was fired from the Arthur Godfrey shows, listens to a question during a news conference in Ed Sullivan's apartment in New York. La Rosa, a pop singer known for hits including "Eh, Cumpari," has died at age 86. (AP Photo/John Lindsay, File)But his growing popularity annoyed Godfrey. On Oct. 19, 1953, La Rosa was due to begin the TV portion of Godfrey's show but was kept waiting backstage until the final minutes of the radio-only part of the program. As he finished singing "Manhattan," La Rosa and the audience heard Godfrey precede his sign-off by saying, "That was Julie's swan song with us."Godfrey said he fired him because he lacked "humility" and because he had hired an agent"I was 23 years old then and filled with myself," La Rosa said in a 1991 interview with The New York Times. "Who isn't at 23, especially if you're a celebrity?"The public firing actually boosted La Rosa's career for a while. He served as the summer replacement on Perry Como's TV show in 1955. That's when he met Como's secretary, Rosemary Meyer, and married her. He went on to get his own TV show in 1955. He also appeared on numerous other variety shows in the 1950s and '60s, including Ed Sullivan's. He was also nominated for a Daytime Emmy in 1980 for best supporting actor for his role on "Another World."La Rosa lived for 42 years in Irvington, in New York's Westchester County, his daughter said, an...

Moreland Boulevard, has been acquired by Foundation Partners Group, a national funeral services provider based in Orlando, Florida. Mariah Dobbs, funeral home manager and a director, said Thursday, Jan. 25, of the acquisition: "There will be no changed in the day-to-day operation. Our core values and services will remain in tact." The acquisition was announced earlier this month on the Foundation's website, www.foundationpartners.com. Former funeral home owner Ryan Nowatka was quoted in the announcement: "The whole team is very excited to join forces with Foundation Partners Group. We all look forward to bringing new ideas and services ... to our families in the Waukesha area." Acquisition of the Waukesha funeral home increases the number of Foundation Partners locations to five in the central Wisconsin region, according to the announcement. "As part of our growth strategy, we look to affiliate with firms that are considered to be trusted friends by the communities in which they serve," said Bob Bukala, president and CEO of Foundation Partners. "Their dedication to high-quality, personalized service has been embraced by their families and communities for many generations." Cesarz, Charapata & Zinnecker has served the Waukesha community since 1897, according to the announcement. Operating under the current name since 1993, the funeral home has been on Moreland Boulevard for more than 55 years. As one of the largest privately owned funeral and cemetery operators, Foundation Partners owns and operates funeral homes, cremation centers and cemeteries in 17 states.